The number of people who are "going online" grows daily, and the number of companies that are making money from the Internet grows, too. How do you make money online? That's the question of the hour. Some companies provide free services and charge advertising fees, some create content, and others sell software. Whatever the method, it is certainly true that the Internet has become a "market," a place for people with clever ideas to try their hand at doing business online. Internet Companies: A General Overview - more about the companies which built the Internet. Architects of the Web - a web site that accompanies a book of the same name by Robert H. Reid. Read excerpts from chapters that talk about the people (and their companies) who helped created the Web as we know it today. Netscape - creator of what is still the world's most popular web "browser." The company has expanded its business into other areas of networking software, and currently also provides products for web servers and office intranets, among other things. Microsoft - this software giant entered the "browser market" late in the game, but is gaining on Netscape with its own Internet Explorer. Microsoft also established the msn.com and msnbc.com networks, and has expanded its Internet business in other areas. Yahoo! - an Internet navigational service, Yahoo! began as a hobby for two Stanford graduate students, Jerry Yang and David Filo. Since the early days in a small trailer the company has grown into a leading force on the Web. Excite - also started at Stanford, the company has grown to be one of the top search engines on the Web today. Progressive Networks - creators of RealAudio and RealVideo software, which allow users to listen to sounds and view videos on their computers while surfing the web. Macromedia - creators of Shockwave, software that adds greater multimedia opportunities (graphics, sound and other "cool" stuff) to Web pages.